Why Did Travis Kelce Miss Chiefs Practice Before Taylor Swift Wedding?

Wedding planning is a big stressor, and though it often feels like most of the worry falls on the woman’s side, most well-balanced couples share the stress equally. It’s still one of the biggest days of your life. And that applies even if you’re Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

As the singer and NFL player get ready to tie the knot, life goes on around them. And that includes the Chiefs’ OTA practice, which Kelce recently skipped. But did he take some time off for wedding-related reasons?

Related: Who has Taylor Swift dated?

It’s hard to tell. All we know is that Kelce was absent from the Kansas City Chiefs’ OTA practice on Thursday. He, however, did attend practice on Tuesday, according to ESPN correspondent Nate Taylor.

Kansas City Star reporter Pete Sweeney reported on the absence.  “Just out of Chiefs voluntary OTA viewing session of Day 3,” he wrote on his social media account. “I didn’t see Chris Jones, Kristian Fulton or Travis Kelce.”

OTAs, or Organized Team Activities, are basically voluntary practices, and most players, particularly veterans, don’t attend every day. Someone like Patrick Mahomes, who is coming back from an injury, is more likely to be present than someone like Kelce, who is fit and probably looking to avoid any possible injuries.

Veteran players usually skip these practices to spend more time with their families, so if Kelce decided he wanted to avoid the one practice that was open to the media and get some wedding prep done, that wouldn’t be surprising. Reports indicate Swift and Kelce will tie the knot on July 3.

This comes after suggestions that Kelce was struggling to adjust to the increased security that comes with being with Swift, something which is likely to take on a whole different dimension around their wedding and after.

“Taylor’s life operates like a military operation,” one insider revealed to Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice. “There are armored SUVs, armed guards, advance teams, private entrances, constant surveillance. Travis respects why it’s necessary, but it’s still shocking to him sometimes.”

Kelce has had a reputation as a very open and laid-back guy since his first years in the NFL, so it makes sense that this would be a big adjustment for him. “Travis is happiest when life feels normal,” another source told Shuter. “He loves random nights out, changing plans last minute, calling friends on the fly. With Taylor, every movement has to be coordinated in advance.”

But sources made it clear that Kelce “accepts the restrictions” because he knows keeping Swift safe is more important. “He hates the limitations,” one person said. “But he loves Taylor more than he hates any of it.”

He is, after all, marrying the Taylor Swift. His life was bound to change. And according to friends, he has become “even more protective” of his soon-to-be wife as the wedding nears, and always “wants to be the one protecting her.”

“That’s part of how Travis sees himself,” they added. “But it’s a strange feeling when highly trained security teams are always ten steps ahead of you.”

In this regard, more security is probably better than no security. And though Kelce probably didn’t miss practice for security reasons, it seems he would if needed.